US unemployment benefits running out

From the New York Times:

Over the coming months, as many as 1.5 million jobless Americans will exhaust their unemployment insurance benefits, ending what for some has been a last bulwark against foreclosures and destitution.

Because of emergency extensions already enacted by Congress, laid-off workers in nearly half the states can collect benefits for up to 79 weeks, the longest period since the unemployment insurance program was created in the 1930s. But unemployment in this recession has proved to be especially tenacious, and a wave of job-seekers is using up even this prolonged aid.

The article goes on to state that 9m Americans are reliant on unemployment benefits averaging $300 / wk. That's a lot more than JSA in the UK, but it's not clear from the article whether this includes housing costs, healthcare or other benefits that we're entitled to here. The time limit also reduces its long-term cost.

As discussed in this article, losing unemployment benefits isn't necessarily the end of the world for US welfare recipients, but it still seems rather terrifying from a UK perspective. Does anyone know of a good primer on the US welfare and welfare to work systems?